


Lonely Night

by doiebites



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, royal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 08:21:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18961468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doiebites/pseuds/doiebites
Summary: The big doors of the ballroom opened on a sudden, letting a late guest in, and as soon as Doyoung focused his gaze on them, his heart almost stopped.The boy Doyoung had fallen in love with and fought for, the boy he had planned on running away with and having the life he always wished for, the boy that abandoned him five years ago, was standing right in front of him.





	Lonely Night

If there was a time of the year Doyoung hated, it would definitely be this day.

The anniversary of his wedding and coronation. Or the anniversary of the biggest lie of his life, he often told himself. Marrying someone he had only met a few days before because their parents had decided upon their births they should be together to join their kingdoms (or their wealth), and then receiving the responsibility of ruling it as a king, something he not even once wished to have. He dreaded the meaning of it, and the celebration he had to hold at the castle every year, like he was genuinely happy to meet all the nobility invited and act like he didn't know they only were there for good image and nothing else. 

He did consider himself lucky, though. His arranged marriage could easily have gone wrong, but Taeil was the best surprise he could have. The prince, older than him by two years, had immediately made sure he was comfortable around him, and told him he was just fine with pretending they were a happy couple, as long as they could be friends. And after three years, they shared the closest bond, with Doyoung trusting him for every decision he made about the kingdom or otherwise; even though he officially had the crown, Taeil was more of a king than him. Maybe because he liked his life.

He checked himself in the tall mirror. The special suit, made specifically for this occasion, was mostly of a soft beige color with green adornments on the shoulders, sleeves and chest area, to match his kingdom's color. He was supposed to wear the crown that night, but that rule was changed on the first anniversary celebration; it was too heavy, and it made him uncomfortable.

Doyoung couldn't help but think of what he would be doing tonight if his life had led a different way. If that night five years ago didn't go the wrong way, he might have been happier now. Having no big responsibilities, forgetting the weight his name held, and having the love of his life by his side. That was the life he wished he had and, because of that night, could never be able to fulfill.

"I see you're burying yourself in self pity again."

Doyoung saw Taeil entering the room through the mirror and turned around, not bothering to hide his sadness. He had no secrets to his best friend after all.

"It's the third year, I would think you were used to this already."

"It's not as easy for me to hide it Taeil. I don't have someone to lay with every night and forget I'm stuck in a life I didn't want for a few hours like you."

"Maybe that's what you're missing." the older spoke, straightening the collar of Doyoung's coat. "You need to find someone, you've been alone for too long. Or have you not forgotten that boy yet?"

Doyoung didn't answer, but the way his gaze shifted down the moment he said it gave all the answer he needed.

"How can you still think of him with love, Doyoung? He abandoned you and didn't even bother to explain himself, if anything you should be resentful."

"I am resentful. I hate him, but..."

"But it's hard to fully hate him when he represents the life you always wanted." Taeil finished.

The younger only nodded in response, and quickly changed the subject before it could get deeper.

"So, it's time to enter the ballroom right? And do our little acting."

Taeil smiled encouragingly at him. "It's not like we're doing it for the first time. I'll tell the responsibles to end the party earlier this time, if you want."

Doyoung took a deep breath and brought his best smile out, stretching an arm so Taeil could link his own. The smile turned from fake to a genuine one when the older rolled his eyes at him and called him a "walking cliche", like he did every time. The security the older gave him was something he treasured and thanked the gods that he was able to have, or else this would be a lot more difficult to go through.

"Then let's go, my dear husband."

\-----------------------------------------

Twenty minutes into it, and Doyoung already wanted to leave for his room and never come back.

It wasn't the boring process of greeting every guest with his best smile that bothered him; it was the guests themselves. It was clear most of them didn't like him, because he didn't give them privileges like the kings before him had done. He was fair, and made sure everyone in his kingdom never had lack of food to eat and money to survive, and that irritated the nobles and members of the church, used to be able to treat the peasants like they well wanted. But in that moment they were all showing their brightest smiles, congratulating him and Taeil and wishing them well, before going back to their groups and talk behind their backs.

The advantage of being the king, he thought, is that he was allowed to stop interacting with the crowd and go sit at his throne and watch everything from afar, which he did a while after.

He watched as Taeil smiled at him in reassurance before walking around the room, greeting, conversing, and dancing. He had to smile when he saw him walk over to one of their servants and ask him for a dance. Taeil had had his list of lovers over the three years, but Kun seemed to be the one that had taken his heart for good. It's been almost a year since they started getting involved, but the way the prince's eyes lit up like stars whenever he saw him, and the lovestruck smile, those never changed. It made him happy to see his best friend so in love, and for a moment the sadness he would never feel the same tried to settle in, but he quickly shoved it away; Taeil was right. It's been five years, he had to move on.

The big doors of the ballroom opened on a sudden, letting a late guest in, and as soon as Doyoung focused his gaze on them, his heart almost stopped.

The hair he remembered as short and dark brown was now longer, almost by shoulder length, and dirty blonde. His face features had grown sharper, expected from the passing years, and even though he was dressed in rich fashion, and had a way more obvious confident port, his big brown eyes still were the same, glowing in the light like stardust had fallen on them.

The boy Doyoung had fallen in love with and fought for, the boy he had planned on running away with and having the life he always wished for, the boy that abandoned him five years ago, was standing right in front of him.

It took a long moment for Doyoung to recover from the shock and stand up from the throne to walk to him, and when he did, the anger grew with every step he took to him.

"It is my honor to meet you again, your grace." he said, bowing respectfully, though with a smirk on his face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Doyoung growled, not caring about the way everyone was staring at him.

Taeil showed up a second later, confused with all the situation and trying to ease it before it could get worse.

"I don't think we met, late stranger." he said with a smile. "I'm Moon Taeil, the regent prince."

"It is my most absolute pleasure to be able to meet you, your highness." Another bow, and a new, bigger smirk. "I'm from another kingdom. My name is Nakamoto Yuta."

The way the prince completely lost his smile and looked at his very mad husband delighted him; it was the confirmation he needed that Doyoung didn't forget him, or else he wouldn't have bothered to tell the prince about him in the first place.

After a moment of recomposure Taeil smiled again, thanking his wishes and congratulations and telling Yuta to make himself comfortable in the celebration, pulling his husband away from there before he could let his heart react for him.

"That's him right?? The boy from five years ago? What is he doing here?!“

"That's what I want to know too." Doyoung replied with closed fists. "I want to punch the smirk off his face, I don't care that I'm in public."

"Well I do. You're not doing anything that could risk your reputation. If you want to talk to him, take him to the next room, otherwise I'll tell the guards to escort him out of here."

"No, I want to know what he wants. I'll do as you said." he sighed. "Thank you for helping me, a minute more and I would have lost it."

"That's what friends are for, right?" Taeil smiled and reached to kiss his cheek. "Now go, and be discrete please."

It took him five minutes to be able to look at him from afar and not having the immediate reaction to scream at him, and five more to escort Yuta to a smaller room next to it, that only the royal members had access.

As soon as Doyoung closed and locked the door, he charged at him, trying to punch him but Yuta's training in the Royal Guard quickly defended him from every blow, and he not once tried to attack him. That wasn't his objective, he wanted to talk to him.

Doyoung eventually pinned him against the wall, grabbing him by the collar. His voice came out raspy from the tiredness, but the anger in his voice was still there and strong.

"I should forbid you from ever stepping in my kingdom again from the shit you did to me."

"You need a stronger reason than that to do it."

"I'm the king, I can do whatever the hell I want!" he yelled back, holding him tighter. "Answer my question."

Yuta didn't react, not even when the younger threatened to have his guards arrest him. He was honestly scared; he knew Doyoung would be mad at him, but he didn't expect it to be this bad.

"I waited for you the whole night, Yuta! I waited and hoped you would show up but you never did, and didn't even bother to warn me or give me some kind of explanation afterwards, you just left like I was nothing!" tears pricked his eyes but he contained them. "And now five years later you just walk in like nothing ever happened! What were you expecting, to be received with open arms? You broke me!"

The way his voice cracked in the last word echoed in the small room, and Doyoung had to let go of him and walk away to breathe deeply and keep himself from crying. He couldn't show any signs of weakness, especially not in that moment.

"You were a lot more than nothing to me, Doyoung."

"Then why did you disappear??"

"Your father offered my weight in gold if I left that night."

Doyoung stared at him in shock for a moment, hoping his ears were betraying him.

"Excuse me?"

"He told me to leave and gave me the gold. Money is tight when you're a poor kid, I needed it. I took it and went back home, and used it to make a name for myself there. I wanted to take you with me, but-"

"Just stop right there." Doyoung stuttered, showing utter disgust in his eyes. "You abandoned me for money? Is that it?"

Yuta just stared back. It was a half lie; he was in fact offered gold, and did reach nobility status in his home kingdom by himself, but it wasn't with that gold. He never accepted it in the first place; he told Doyoung's father he was doing as he said and disappearing, but he was doing it for the prince, because no amount of gold could ever be enough to replace his love for him.

It took him five years to be able to reach a higher position in society, through hard work. He was doing it for his love; he wanted to be able to come back to keep his promise and have them have the life they deserved. But he didn't know that in the meanwhile, the old king had died and Doyoung had been crowned, and married someone else. He had only found out two days before, when he arrived at the kingdom and saw all the posters about the event.

He didn't know what to do; going back home and forgetting about him would be the best, the safest option, but he couldn't do it. He needed to see him again, he needed to meet Doyoung and see he still loved him after all these years. But seeing him with Taeil, seeing the way he relaxed instantly when his husband kissed him when a quick moment ago he was blind with anger, it gave him the answer he needed. He had done the wrong thing in coming there; he had nothing to come back to anymore.

"Why did you bother to come here?"

Doyoung's voice breaking the silence startled him, and he decided to tell the truth.

"I came here to see you. To see if you still remembered me, to check if you still loved me if I was lucky enough. But I see I made a mistake. You're obviously happier with your husband."

He had managed to hide the jealousy in his voice well, but the disdain in the last word gave it away. He hated the fact he was hapilly married; he hated the fact his husband wasn't him.

Doyoung walked over to the door, unlocking it.

"Leave."

When Yuta didn't move, he spoke in an authorizing tone.

"Leave. Leave the castle, leave my kingdom, and never come back. I don't want to see you ever again, I hate you."

The older walked slowly to the door, putting his hand over Doyoung's own on the handle. He noticed how it shook at the touch, just as much as his own. 

He took the chance he was so close to him again and took his hand off to place it on the king's face, softly caressing his cheek. Doyoung moved to swat his hand away but stopped, letting it linger; letting the older have one last chance to touch him endearingly like he used to when they were younger. 

"I wish you and Taeil are very happy for a long time. You deserve to be happy, my love."

The way Doyoung moved his head to the side, away from his touch, and didn't look at him once, told him it was time to leave. He had ran out of time, and failed his last opportunity to make things right. 

Yuta opened the door and left, walking straight to the exit. Once more he was doing what the king wanted, disappearing again to protect the man he loved. Except this time it hurt even more, knowing he was never coming back.

**Author's Note:**

> wrote this at 2am and half asleep so sorry for any incoherence or mistakes


End file.
